Who Escapes Iowa As Viable CandidatesFor The GOP And Democrats? A Surprising Take

The Iowa caucus results are interesting as usual. For the Republicans, Ted Cruz outworked and outhustled all comers as TCR predicted months ago, winning most of the vote and he certainly punches a ticket deep into the GOP primary season. A disappointing second is Donald Trump at 24%. A rising third is Marco Rubio, who gained the most from the last Iowa poll and exceeded expectations. As for the other GOP candidates, most are on life support and need the oxygen of a good showing in New Hampshire or South Carolina, or they are out.

As for Democrats, it was a virtual dead heat between Clinton and Sanders. Not an impressive showing, Clinton will still probably be the nominee, but the anticipated long slog will leave her weakened going into November.

As far as going forward, the GOP nominee looks to be Cruz, Trump, or Rubio, unless there is a Kasich breakthrough next week in New Hampshire.

Fred Barnes, in The Weekly Standard, described today what Rubio's advantages are over Trump or Cruz, "For one thing, he appears to be the most electable Republican. The Clinton campaign regards him as potentially her strongest Republican rival. In polls matching her against Republican candidates, Rubio does better than Cruz or Trump. In a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll last month, Clinton led Trump by 10 points, Cruz by 3, and Rubio by 1."

Cruz has definite advantages going forward like money, organization and high energy. If he can conquer the likeability and electability questions, he will be formidable.

Trump, in TCR's opinion, will have difficulty in surviving the primaries and winning in November. His act is already boring and repetitive. Is there nothing new coming?

Washington Establishment WrongAbout Embracing Trump

The old-line Senators Hatch, Dole, McCain and Barr have been praising Donald Trump. Why? Because they don't like Senator Ted Cruz. Some of this alleged hatred is to override rationality! Donald Trump is a great salesman, but has a history of not being a reliable conservative. These establishment players learned how to work with President Obama, but with Cruz they want to throw to the jackals - inexplicable.

While the establishment is at it, Right to Rise, a pro-Jeb Bush Super PAC, has spent millions not to go after Trump, but bullying Marco Rubio because he is in the way of the Bush campaign. Good for the GOP, no, not good for America and sadly not good for Jeb, as his campaign is failing.

Rubio may be the best GOP candidate for November, and like Cruz, the jackals are out for him too and if they are successful, the winner is Trump!

"This Deal Is Getting Worse All The Time",Iran: Part 2

This deal with Iran was bad, and now it's worse.

First, the Iranian parliament never approved the nuclear deal as agreed to in Switzerland. So, if it's not approved how is it legally binding?

Second, instead of helping Iran moderate, they have gotten more aggressive in their foreign policy, and as for business with Iran the U.S. is getting little or nothing (not that we want it). As for engaging Iran in a positive, constructive manner as described by Mort Zuckerman of U.S. News & World Report. "Khamenei declared 'any dialogue with the American Great Satan' to be 'forbidden.' Nor have they moderated their 'hate-America campaign,' notes Amir Taheri. Inside Iran, Obama's 'moderate partners' have doubled the number of executions and political prisoners, recently crushing marches by teachers calling for release of their leaders, arresting hundreds of trade unionists. And all of this has taken place against the backdrop of the United States having gone out of its way, as no major power in history, to help, respect, please and even appease the Islamic world. By contrast, no other nation has been a victim of vilification, demonization and violence on the part of the Islamists as has the U.S."

Third, Iran has doubled down on its foreign adventures. "The mullahs have intensified their backing for Houthi rebels in Yemen and heightened their propaganda war against Saudi Arabia, now openly calling for the overthrow of the monarchy there. Iran's military has engaged with Russia in Syria to shore up the country's dictator, Bashar Assad. They have heightened contacts with Palestinian groups in the hope of unleashing a new 'intifada' against Israel."

Fourth, most recently after illegally capturing U.S. sailors, the Iranians overflew a U.S. aircraft carrier by an Iranian drone. The U.S.' reaction to both incidents: apologizing. Not how a great power works.

It's clear from world history, appeasement begets war. Our hope is with the election of a strong new President so Iran can get the message, don't mess with the U.S.A.

Hillary's Dance with The DevilBy Bruce Bialosky, Contributing Editor

Ms. Clinton has placed at the core of her campaign the fact that she is a woman and that it would be so nice to have a woman in the White House. As in any presidential run it is fair game to analyze whether that precept represents something Americans should vote for when they go to the ballot box. That makes the relationship with her husband Bill Clinton a matter for discussion.

Let's make this clear from the start; Bill Clinton's support by Democratic women like Debbie Wasserman Schultz is based on him being a supporter of the pro-abortion orthodoxy. If he were anti-abortion any woman on the left who brands herself as a supporter of "women's rights" would have tossed him over the side years ago. Though his transgressions are seemingly not as numerous as the accusations against Bill Cosby, they are certainly as significant in their nature and just as misogynistic.

It is said American voters have a short memory so let us review what occurred and still matters today, particularly because of her candidacy. Whether or not you believe Mr. Clinton's behavior rose to the level of being impeached (he was impeached for lying; not sex), his treatment of women was deplorable. This is a man who used his position of power to take advantage of women sexually. This is a man who totally disrespected his marriage and the woman he was married to for his own sexual pleasure. This is a man who could not control himself enough that he had sex with an intern in the oval office. This is a man who gave the idea to a generation of young Americans that oral sex was not really "having sex," thus encouraging underage Americans to participate in sexual activity as if there were no consequences. But Mr. Clinton is not running for president; the wife he abused is doing such.

Ms. Clinton never expressed her hurt or distaste for the man who turned his back on her marriage or publicly scolded him for his obvious contempt for her, his wife. She not only defended him, but she attacked the women who were abused by him. It is one thing to neither publicly attack him nor walk away from him, but to accuse the women he abused for his own personal satisfaction of victimizing her husband was insulting not only to those women, but to all women. How could she stand up for mistreatment of women in the workplace when she sold out to achieve her own personal aggrandizement? Her lack of credibility on this issue means she would move along the rights of women in this society less than Barack Obama did for Blacks -- and that is a very low standard.

That does not mean to say that anyone should toss their marriage over the side because of a single indiscretion. Each situation has to be evaluated based on the facts and circumstances involved. When you have a serial philander like Bill Clinton, to accept his behavior and defend him is beyond the pale. To attack the women taken advantage of and defend the behavior for which any chief executive in America would be fired does not deserve validation.

To focus on this issue does do a small injustice to this campaign. After all, without ever dealing with this issue there is still a mountain of reasons to not support Hillary in her campaign to be president. Her recent book "Hard Choices" is a road map to defeat Hillary just like "Earth in The Balance" was a road map to defeat Al Gore in 2000. Ask her to cite one country in which our relations are better today than when Mr. Obama took office. The only one might be Turkey, where Erdogan has eliminated many freedoms in his country while turning it from an open democracy to an Islamic state. Unless you include Cuba and Iran, most of which happened after her term, for what that is worth. Clinton was there at Obama's shoulder helping to design this smoldering world.

The point is if there should be the first woman president and someone who makes that her hallmark then it should be someone that actually represents an advancement for women. I can think of someone who started her own business, raised two children, participated in her community and maintained her integrity in dealing with her marriage, never perverting her principles just to advance. She would make a great president. She never sold her soul to the devil for the sake of power and money like Hillary has done. She would be a model of the modern woman for all Americans and for women's rights worldwide.

You may find a reason to vote for Hillary for president, but being a woman is not one of them.

Bruce Bialosky is the founder of the Republican Jewish Coalition of California and a former Presidential appointee. You can contact Bruce at bruce@bialosky.biz.

Gary Polland is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, fund-raiser, and leader who completed three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, Gary was described as the most successful county Chairman in America by Human Events - The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his sixteenth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last fourteen years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. As a public service for the last 13 years, Gary has published election guides for the GOP primary, general elections and city elections, all with the purpose of assisting conservative candidates. Gary is also in his 14th year of co-hosting Red, White and Blue on PBS Houston, longest running political talk show in Texas history. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.